Having a smooth, sexy complexion can make you feel more confident and attractive. Unfortunately, genetics and your environment can thwart your best efforts at keeping your skin smooth and soft. Dead skin, oils, dirt, tiny hairs, and other microparticles can leave your skin looking dull and aged. If you’re unhappy with your skin and are interested in what you can do about it, call Dr. Park Avenue in Franklin Lakes, NJ to find out what Dermaplaning can do for you.
What Is Dermaplaning?
This is a skin treatment that uses a special blade to exfoliate dead skin cells and hair from your face. Its aim is to make your skin’s surface smooth, youthful, and bright. It can help remove deep scarring from acne and uneven pockmarks on your skin, as well as the many tiny hairs on your face.
The Technique Involved
The treatment uses an extremely fine, surgical-grade scalpel to gently scrape the surface of your skin and remove layers of dead skin, oils, and fine hairs. The technique can only be performed by licensed professionals who have been trained in its use. The scalpel is held at a very precise angle and moved slowly across the surface of your skin to achieve deep exfoliation without pain or damage.
The result is skin that is super-smooth and an excellent base for makeup application. The added benefit of removing dead skin, hair, and other surface particles is that it effectively removes the barrier between your skin and the moisturizers and anti-aging products you use. This makes them much more efficient.
What Happens During a Dermaplaning Session?
Many patients have described treatments as “relaxing.” The session begins with a skin preparation treatment that uses products designed to gently cleanse your skin while removing harmful bacteria and other germs from the surface.
Next, the surgical scalpel is glided across your skin and held at a specific angle to remove fine hairs, dead skin, and embedded oil that can make your skin look dull and highlight the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The movements of the blade are described as “fast and feathery,” using just enough pressure to remove debris on the top layer of your skin without harming any of the underlying layers.
The Direction of Treatment
In general, treatment begins at your forehead and moves down your cheeks to your chin. Your nose, eyebrows, and lips will be avoided. Once the treatment with the blade is finished, moisturizers and other skincare products will be applied to reduce any minor redness or irritation that may have occurred and to hydrate your skin.
Depending on the condition of your skin, other products may be applied to maximize your results. A single session is often enough to yield excellent results, but most patients opt for ongoing sessions, often before facials and other treatments they get on their own in order to maintain their soft, smooth skin.
When Should You Consider Treatment?
You should consider dermabrasion treatment if you are frustrated with signs of aging that make you look older than you feel or if you have fine lines around your eyes, nose, mouth, or cheeks. Those who have facial scars caused by acne, chickenpox, or some other previous condition should also consider the treatment.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Dermaplaning?
Unlike some cosmetic treatments, there are virtually no age restrictions for dermaplaning. As long as you are in good general health, have a positive attitude, realistic expectations, and are dissatisfied with the condition of your skin, you are most likely an excellent candidate for the treatment.
Are Dermaplaning and Dermabrasion the Same?
The two treatments most often confused with each other are dermabrasion and dermaplaning. While they’re both effective at helping you achieve your cosmetic goals, they have somewhat different uses and purposes.
Dermabrasion
Dermabrasion removes scar tissue in a way that is controlled and doesn’t inflict significant damage to the skin, allowing new, healthier tissue to grow in its place. Because of this, dermabrasion is often chosen by patients looking to have skin blemishes or wrinkles removed. The tool used during treatment has a spinning wheel with a rough surface to slowly and gently remove the top layer of damaged skin.
The doctor rubs the tool over your skin and removes the upper layers. Patients who have acne scars or other facial blemishes often choose to undergo dermabrasion to remove them. Dermabrasion is a more intense treatment than a chemical peel or microdermabrasion and can be performed on a small or large area depending on your needs.
Dermaplaning
As mentioned, this treatment is very similar to dermabrasion, but one of the biggest differences is in the tool that’s used. In this treatment, the tool used is either a scalpel or a dermatome that resembles an electric razor. The tool is equipped with small blades that skim off the top layers of skin. Like dermabrasion, it can be performed on either a small portion or the entirety of your face.
What Happens at Your Initial Consultation?
Your initial consultation is where you will be able to discuss your options with our doctor, and they will make recommendations based on your goals as to which treatments or techniques will help you best achieve them. If there are any specific blemishes, marks, or scars that you want treated, make sure to let the doctor know at this time.
Should you decide to go through with the treatment, our doctor will provide you with directions for the weeks to come regarding your skincare.
The Importance of Preparation
Make sure to come to your initial consultation with any and all relevant information at hand. You will need to tell the doctor about your medical history, including any previous surgeries, past or present medical conditions, and any allergies you have and medications you’re taking.
Your doctor will make recommendations regarding the approach to your treatment, the type of device that will lead to the best results, and your cosmetic goals and natural physical characteristics. They will also provide you with information on the number of treatments they believe will be necessary to reach your aesthetic goals.
How to Prepare
When you decide to undergo treatment, your doctor will provide you with thorough pretreatment instructions, answer any and all of your questions, take a detailed medical history and perform a physical examination to ensure you’re fit for treatment.
You will likely be asked to do a few things to prepare yourself for treatment, including applying special ointments or gels to your skin, stopping smoking, avoiding aspirin and certain anti-inflammatory drugs, and keeping yourself well hydrated both before and after treatment.
What to Expect the Day of Treatment
Treatments are performed in-office and can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or more depending on the size of the area you want to be treated. Local anesthesia or a numbing spray is sometimes used. If you would like the area numbed pre-treatment, make sure to tell our doctor at your consultation.
You’ll likely be permitted to leave after a short observation period. The treatment is non-invasive and therefore doesn’t require a lengthy stay for observation.
Aftercare and Recovery
Your doctor will let you know how long it will be before you can return to your normal level of daily activity. They will also let you know about the typical symptoms of healing that you’ll probably experience and how best to deal with them.
Immediately After Treatment
Immediately after treatment, there may be some temporary tingling in the area. You’ll be given information regarding how to treat your skin after treatment, and you may be prescribed an ointment to aid in healing and comfort.
Recovery Time Frame
It can take seven to ten days for new skin to begin forming, and as your body replaces the old, unhealthy skin with new, rejuvenated cells, any discoloration will begin to dissipate. Since the treatment takes place on your face and around your mouth, eating or drinking may be more difficult immediately following treatment.
If you chose to undergo a deeper treatment, you may have to reduce your normal activity level for up to two weeks to give yourself time to heal. Treatments that are less intensive and more superficial generally take much less time for a full recovery.
Following Doctor Directions
It’s extremely important that you closely follow all of the patient-care instructions your doctor provides you with. You’ll be informed on the normal symptoms of healing you may experience. The amount of time it takes to recover varies greatly among individuals.
How Long Do the Effects Last?
Your treatment results can vary, and much is dependent on the length and depth of your treatment. Many patients who undergo treatment notice that their skin blemishes have been reduced or eliminated. No cosmetic treatment is able to stop the aging process, however, and as your skin continues to age over time, you may notice new blemishes forming or even the return of old ones.
Ask your doctor to give you an outline regarding how long you can expect the results from your specific treatment to last.
How to Take Care of Your Skin After Treatment
After treatment, you need to take care of your skin. If you haven’t been using sunblock religiously already, you need to start because your skin will be more sensitive to the sun. You should also be careful with skincare products that contain retinol and glycolic acids, as your post-treatment skin is more sensitive. Ask your doctor about the skincare products you use and which, if any, should be avoided and for how long.
Learn More or Get Started
During a treatment session, a scalpel or dermatome will be brushed across your skin to remove dead cells, bacteria, fine hairs, and other surface-level detritus that has been ruining your complexion. The treatment is non-invasive and, depending on the size of the area you want to be treated, can be completed in as little as a few minutes or as long as an hour.
Your skin may be a little sensitive after treatment, and you will need to take care to use gentle skincare products and avoid anything harsh that could cause discomfort or compromise your results. If you’re unhappy with the current state of your skin and you think dermaplaning may be right for you, call Dr. Park Avenue in Franklin Lakes, NJ today to schedule an appointment.
